Slim Pickings Locally

[bobby46]

We just returned from a day trip to the largest outdoor flea market in our state. We

hadn't gone there for three years. Not a single pipe, my friends. My only real expectation was a

nearby tobacco shop, which to my delight was still there. Sadly, the glass case which formerly

displayed basket pipes and MM cobs was replaced with non-pipe accessories. The tobacco wall display was

shrunken to only a few cut-rate pound bags, and a couple of tins of bugler, which were always

considered (at least by me) intended for cigarette rolling clientele. Rolling papers were

displayed alongside.
All but one Pharmacy around here have discontinued pipe tobacco sales. That last one is only 3/4 mile

away. Prior months I would take a periodic morning stroll for a pouch of Carter Hall or H&H.

This was a pleasant lure for needed exercise. Last winter I bought the last pouch of CH. It was

dust-covered. In the span of less than a year, pouches/tins formerly on self-service shelves, became hidden behind the cash register, then to be gone entirely. Ironically, the local supermarket still has a display of long-unsold pipe-filters.
Fortunately, after an internet search I found this site. The date of that migration is recorded

for me beneath the avatar. Here I was introduced to many quality mail-order tobaccos I never knew existed.
Some of you may consider this forum merely a gathering-place. Speaking for my locale, it's also one of the last

bastions of a lifestyle. I'm currently stocking up some new favorites.

 

[pstlpkr]

Some of you may consider this forum merely a gathering-place. Speaking for my locale, it's also one of the last bastions of a lifestyle. I'm currently stocking up some new favorites.

Ironically, I was just addressing those very aspects of our site with another New Member.

That tells me we really are the "The #1 Source for Pipes and Pipe Tobacco Information".
Thanks for that.

::

 

[tokerpipes]

I gave up FB because of this site. Its been 4 months since I have been on there.

 

[beewrangler2]

I am in the similar situation here. My local B&M owner passed away about a year ago. Up until that point his shop was a very well rounded tobacco buyers experience, ( pipes, tins, bulk, cigars, accesories and he even catered to the RYO cigarette crowd.) He always had a deal on a pipe or two and in fact I bought one of my nicest Bjarnes from him. For a while there, it seemed like us pipe smokers might have been forgotten. I am happy to report that when I stopped in this past weekend, the man behind the counter and I started talking pipes and I think with his direction, the selection of pipes and tobaccos will get better. He is also planning on selling estate pipes, and I cannot wait to see what he has to offer in that area.
I like this site, informative, fun and has lead me to some new discoveries even after these years. I also like the selection that the internet provides. I do whole heartedly feel that you should buy locally if at all possible, but with fewwer and fewer selections at B&Ms to choose from this has opened a whole new door for me.
Thats not to say I you don't have to twist my arm to hard to hop on Amtrak and visit I.W.'s in Chicago a couple times a year.

Bill

 

[jaysin]

Heres what I think is really going on. I live in a small town and the local B&M pipe wise has a few grabows and the pipe tobacco line consest of Half and Half Prince albert and Carter Hill Cpt Black and some stuff called Smokers friend horrable stuff. They cary what they can sell in a reasonable amount of time. To no surprise living in a comunity of farmers chewing tobacco sells more than anything. Back to my point pipe smoking is a nitch market

and a friend of mine who works for a local tobacco distrubitor had told me they have to but so much in one order a mix of cigs chew ryo tobacco pipe tobacco. This seems to be a trend with most distrubitors now how can a small B&M justify having a big selection of tobaccos when the majorty of the pipe smokers are older and in to Cpt Black white or Royal or Half and Half? And now with the big internet sellers or big B&M with large internet sales how can a B&M carry a large varity and compet with someone dropping 100,000 to a million bucks at a time on invatory and reaching millions of people world wide? and not to think about how many distrbitors one would need to carry a varity.

 

[spartan]

So I should feel bad for the B&Ms that are run by old folks that didn't want to move sales to the net?
That they were basically out-smarted by OTHER B&Ms who moved inventory for purchase online?
Having a local place is great, but when you stop being competitive, you lose.
Spartanomics 101 ::

 

[jaysin]

Your right and I do not understand why the other B&M dont do it other then the start up cost it would take exceeds what they have and make.

 

[bobby46]

I always surmised that the sustainability of OTC tobacco was due to high volume sale. Furthermore, that the high-volume was substantially due to the preponderance of "mini-market", pharmacy, or gas-station etc; network distributions.

I don't know if what i've seen locally (total unavailability or dwindling selection) is a nationwide trend.

How much would eventual absence of the convenience-buy affect us and the industry?

 

[puffy]

My local grocery store sells a few packaged pipe tobaccos,Carter Hall,Captain Black and a couple of others.At a very high price though.

 

[steyrshrek]

If it's about economy of scale the small B&M guys could group together to increase their buying power, b ut i would require a new way of doing things. With shipping option and the communications that are available now a days it is a doable venture, if one wanted to.

 

[slowpuffer]

Hmmmm...the conversation about B&M versus online retailer is probably one that warrants a whole thread. However, I don't think it differs from every other business in the U.S. Large e-tailers and big box stores have taken over the vast majority of the retail market and those businesses that have successfully combined the two concepts are retailing juggernauts.
When it comes to buying pipes and tobaccos, I prefer to go to a good B&M that carries a decent quantity of pipes and tobaccos (15-20 quality bulk blends will even suffice for me!). These of course are far and few in between. However, the process of actually going and talking to a tobacconist and selecting a pipe or tobacco are part of my enjoyment of being a pipe smoker. I used to order online, but it just wasn't the same experience. That being said, I have personally visited several pipe shops that were once very successful to find that they have changed ownership (often the original proprietor has passed and someone from his family has taken over) and the people running the store don't know the first thing about tobacco or customer service.
I'm glad that there are e-tailers that are out there because I think that they are making the pipe smoking community grow. Without them, many would never have access to quality pipes and tobaccos and wouldn't continue our hobby. However, I must say that I have taken offense to a few pipe smokers that I have seen walk into a quality B&M, look at the price of a tin, and mention that they could save money by buying it online. A small store is never going to be able to move the volume of one of the large online retailers and must have a higher profit margin to survive.
At the end of the day, I think that there is room for both worlds. I think that good tobacconists can survive in areas with larger populations and I think that e-tailers are great for those with no access to a B&M location. But I will say that if you live near one of these quality tobacconists, leave your computer for a few minutes and go support your pipe smoking neighbor!

 

[kamikazesasquatch]

I told the guy at my local B&M what I paid online for tobacco and he said that the store doesn't even get their tins for that price.

 

[spartan]

LOL, then your store needs to start buying from other retailers lol.
Sounds like that store is gonna go under unless it thinks of something fast.